Unit 4 - Immunology and Public Health
Unit 4 – Immunology and Public Health 1. The Immune System 2. Infectious Diseases and immunity Non-specific defences Specific cellular defences Transmission and control Active Immunisation and Vaccination and the evasion of immune responses
By the end of this section you will be able to ….. 2. Infectious Diseases & immunity a) transmission and control of disease By the end of this section you will be able to ….. Describe the role of epidemiologists State what is meant by sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic Describe possible control measures that can be used to prevent transmission of infectious diseases
What is Epidemiology? Epidemiology is the study of patterns of health, illness and associated factors at the population level. Epidemiologists study the outbreak and pattern of infectious diseases to determine the factors that affect the spread of infectious disease.
BBC News report Watch the link to view the look-back on the most recent health scare -Swine Flu http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10483218
Newspaper headlines Experts may be poised to declare swine flu epidemic. Search for vaccine speeds up as swine flu is declared pandemic. World Health Organization may declare an end to endemic as swine flu fizzles.
Confused? Epidemic? Endemic? Pandemic? Sporadic?
The spread of infectious disease are classified as… Epidemic Endemic Pandemic Sporadic Occasional occurrence Regular cases occurring in area Unusually high number of cases in area A global epidemic Match them up!
Control measures Based on the results of their studies, epidemiologists can suggest a number of possible methods of control to prevent further spread of infectious disease. Their recommendations may include: Preventing transmission Drug therapy Immunisation Or a combination of the above.
Tasks – 10 minutes Complete the PS activity about Swine Flu in Scotland
Answers 1. (bar graph) 2. Which region had the highest number of cases? Edinburgh and the Lothians 3. Which region had the lowest number of cases? Outer and Inner Hebrides 4. What percentages of cases were found in: Angus and Dundee? 9% Fife? 11.5% The Scottish Borders? 4.2% 5. During the next week the number of reported cases in Perthshire decreased by 20%. How many cases were reported? 24 6. Why do you think areas such as Glasgow and Clyde Valley had a higher number of cases than the Highlands? Higher population living in smaller area – much easier for disease to spread. 7. The actual number of swine flu cases is thought to be much higher than what was reported. Suggest a reason for this. Many people didn’t go to the doctor or report their illness.
Can you now …. describe the role of epidemiologists state what is meant by sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic describe possible control measures that can be used to prevent transmission of infectious diseases